Brick-lifting apparatus.



R. C. PENFIELD.

BRICK LIFTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.2,19II. v 1,144,779. Put-wed June 29, 1910.

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R. C. PENFIELD.

BRICK LIFTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DE02, I9II.

l y 44,779 Patented June 29, 1915.

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" T @FFlE RAYMOND C. PENFIELD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BRICK-LIIEFTING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 2, 1911.

l10 and end members 11, 12 rigidly Xed To all whom it may concern-f Be it known that LRAYMOND C. PENFIELD, a citizen of the United States, .and resident of New York city, county and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Brick-Lifting Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to apparatus for lifting and transferring bricks in assembled units from one place to another, as from a storage yard to a barge or car, or from a car to a barge, etc.

More particularly, the invention has t0 do with a lifting cage with bars insertible at its bottom adapted for repeated engagement with and disengagement from the unit so that it may be transferred as many times from place to place as may be required Without diem-rangement of the bricks composing the same.

The principal object of the invention is to so construct such a cage that it is adapted to deposit the units in adjacent rows in piles with a minimum of vacant space, while insuring freedom of movement of the cage in removing the same and re-inserting it when required to again lift the units.

The invention further consists in an improved method of arranging the units in connection with the use of such cage.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be thereafter pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved lifting cage showing the expansible plate bar in collapsed position. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View of the right hand portion of Fig. 1, showing the expansible plate in expanded position. Fig. 3 is an end view of the liftingl cage looking from the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end view looking from the left in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the arrangement ofbrick units on one end of a barge. Fig. 6 is an end view thereof. and Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are diagrammatic plan views showing a preferred arrangement 'of the units in the iirst, second and third tiers respectively.

In the illustrative embodiment shown, my-

improved lifting cage is formed of ordinary structural iron with horizontal top members Specification of- Letters Patent.

Patentamt aan@ ae, i915.

Serial No. 663,644.

thereto by means of stout plates 13 in secure riveted engagement with the respective members to insure rigidity to the frame. The cage may be lifted by means of an eye-bar 14 fixed to plates l5 and braces 1G rigidlysecured to the middle and ends of the cage. This strongly 'braced construction of the ends and lifting means relative to the top members is necessary because the sides of the cage are left entirely open and the bottom thereof is constituted by removable bars. These removable'bars at the bottom of the cagey designated 17l are preferably angular in cross-section and have their forward ends slightly downturned, as seen at 18, to hook over upwardly in-turned projections 19 at lof bricks and have spring pressed rollers 23 capable of turning so as to offer little resistance to the longitudinal insertion of the bars, but adapted to spring outward to press against the adjacent brick lines of the bottom row so as to lift the same without dis'- turbing the formation, or relation thereof to the rest of the unit.

It is appa-rent that by reason of the open sides of the cage thus produced, a row of units can be set down with ends closely abutting and the cage can be withdrawn and rengaged therewith as required without disturbing the unit formation, but in depositing the next row of .units alongside of the former row, care must be taken lest the withdrawal of the cage or the re-insertion thereof disarrange the unit formation to an extent so that further cage handling is impracticable. My invention therefore provides an expanded spacing plate fixed to the cage adapted to space the cage with its unit of bricks as it is set down in forming succeeding.rr

The expanding plate for this purpose is shown at 24, being secured to one end of Esetting of the loaded cage in each instance.

the cage by a s eries of links 25 turned down obliquely as seen in Fig. 1 when the plate is in collapsed position, but swinging outward toward the horizontal to move the plate outward as it is lifted by a lever 26 pivoted at 27 to the top of'the cage and operated by a link 28 extending over to the rear end of the cage where it is provided with a handle 29. The expanded position of plate 24 is shown in Fig. 2, and in this position it is brought up against the side of a unit in the preceding row when the loaded cage has been lowered almost to the ground. Then after the unit is deposited by pushing in on the handle 29 the plate is moved to the collapsed position shown i-n Fig. 1, so that the cage can be withdrawn without disturbing the adjacent unit. The units to form the next row are thus deposited alongside of the preceding row with a uniform space between the rows which space is just suhcient to permit the cage to be again inserted when required. with the plate 24 in collapsed position, to engage over the brick units and lift the same Without disturbing the adjacent parts of thepile. Since the plate 24 with its operating connections renders this end of the cage somewhat heavier than the other end` counter-balancing blocks or plates 30 may be lixed to the opposite end 11 of the cage.

In Figs. 5 and a barge load of brick units is shown arranged and piled in accordance with mv invention. As seen in Fig. 5. the rows of the bottom layer 3l are spaced apart evenly and the minimum distance possible for removal by mv improved lifting cage. in the manner described, and the upper lavers have their rows similarly spaced. the successive rows being preferably set in overlapping relation so that the units of each row extend over the spaces between rows in the layer underneath. As seen in Fig. 6, the units are set closely end to end to. form the individual rows except at certain points. where spaces as 34; are unavoidable owing to the general dimensions and formation of the pile. this close end to end setting of the units being made possible by the open sided construction of the lifting rage. The possibilities in the wav of economy of space are further illustrated in Figs. 7, 8. and 9 wherein arrangements of units are shown so that throughout substantially the entire extent of each layer the rows are deposited in uniform lines with the same minimum space between rows as predetermined'by the use of the expanding plate attachment as described.

While the invention is herein illustrated as applied to the loading of barges, it'is of course to be understood that this is merely illustrative and intended to typify any re- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

ceiving or storing space or platform, the invention being quite as applicable, for example, to the setting of bricks in closely assembled units in a storage yard.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. An apparatus of the kind described, comprisinga lifting frame adapted to be let down over a unit of bricks or the like with provision for engaging the bottom of the unit to lift and deposit the unit without disturbing the formation thereof, and means mounted on an outer side of said frame for collapsing movement relative thereto, said means being adapted to space the unit relative-to other units and be then collapsed to permit withdrawal of the frame.

2. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a lifting cage adapted to be let down over a unit of bricks or the. like with provision for engaging the bottom of the unit to lift and deposit the same without disturbing the unit formation, and a movable plate mounted outside and adjacent one side of the lifting frame, being arranged for eX- panding and collapsing movement relatively to the'side of said cage, whereby the unit as deposited may have said plate in contact with an adjacent unit and be spaced therefrom, and the cage then withdrawn by eollapsing the plate.

3. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a lifting frame adapted to be let down over a unit of bricks with provision for engaging the bottom of the unit to lift and deposit the same without disturbing the unit formation adjacent a spacing plate outside said frame. and means to hold said plate substantially parallel with the adjacent side of the frame, said means including a pivotal link connection to the side of said frame to permit expanding and collapsing movement for the purpose stated.

4. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a lifting cage having opposite sides adapted to be let down over a unit of bricks, leaving the other two sides of the unit open and unobstructed, insertible lifting bars cooperative with said opposite cage sides and having-provision to engage and lift the bottom of the unit without disturbing the unit formation, and collapsing spaeing means mounted on a side of said cage and adapted to space vthe unit as deposited, from other units.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RAYMOND C. PENFIELD. Witnesses:

H. C. PENFIELD, C. P. MERTENS.

Washington, D. C. 

